Micro-cantilevers have been used for a variety of nano and microscale printing techniques including dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) and grooved cantilever-based microprinting.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0266149 by Henderson et al. discloses an apparatus and method for depositing material onto a surface in which the material is deposited upon a surface from an elongated beam having an aperture defined therein through which the material is moved by passive adsorption. The elongated beam can be substantially planar along substantially its entire length, can be oriented at an acute angle with respect to the surface during deposition processes, and can have a length no greater than about 2 mm. In some embodiments, the aperture can be elongated, can extend from a material reservoir to a location short of the terminal end of the elongated beam or through the terminal end of the elongated beam, and can have a portion extending through the thickness of the elongated beam. The entire subject matter of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0266149, is incorporated herein by reference.
Gracias et al., in “Novel Microfabrication Approach Of Embedded SU8 Fluidic Networks For Cell Transport On Chips” J. Microlith. Microfab. Microsyst. 5(2), 2006, 021102 focused on the development and fabrication SU8-based microchannel networks, which can be integrated into microdevices for fast drug delivery and cell transport on chips. Instead of using sacrificial materials or wafer bonding, single-and double-layered SU8 channels on silicon substrates were achieved, as well as integration of the SU8 channels with microelectrode arrays. A series of cell transport experiments were performed on these devices.
J. M. Köhler et al., in “Micromechanical elements for detection of molecules and molecular design”, Microsystem Technologies, Springer-Verlag, pp. 202-208, 1995, (the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference), discloses a polymer-based scanning force microscopy (SFM) sensor for the measurement of thin film roughness and the detection of holes in molecular films as well as in the detection of single DNA molecules. In SFM, a flexible cantilever with a sharp stylus at its end is scanned over the sample surface. The atomic interaction with the tip causes a bending of the cantilever. The bending is normally detected by the deflection of a laser beam on the backside of the flexible lever (contact mode SFM).
There is a need for further micro-cantilevers for ultra-low volume fluid and living cell deposition.